Thursday, February 19, 2009

Pierce Pettis has never gotten credit he deserves. He is a thoughtful lyricist. He delivers his stories and messages with a twist of irony and poignancy that is hard to ignore. Pettis has been laying low for the last 4 years. With the release of That Kind of Love it is apparent that Pettis has not spent that time slack-assin’ around. He has been creating the poetic piquant songs which have garnered him such a loyal following. Pettis’ fans are a loyal bunch who have no doubt been waiting for this release and will not be disappointed. His followers may not number as large of a group as Bruce Cockburn, John Hiatt or Steve Earle, but they are loyal just the same. Pettis also does a couple of good covers on this album. The best of the covers is the opening track, “Nothing but the Wind,” originally penned by Mark Heard. He follows the theme of the opener with the self-written tune, “I Am Nothing.”

That Kind of Love features many guest artists who have appeared on Pettis’ past recordings. Stuart Duncan (fiddle, banjo), Andrea Zonn (background vocals, strings), Reese Wynans (Hammond B3), Phil Madeira (Hammond B3, accordion), Byron House ( bass), and Garry West (electric bass). West also produced the album and co-owns the label Compass Records. Needless to say, with this supporting cast the musicianship equals the song craft. When Pettis is at his best, which he is on That kind of Love, his music is transcendent. In fact, he is most reassuring when he points us outside of ourselves. “I am nothing but the angels sometimes whisper in my ear. They tell me things and then they disappear. Though I am nothing, I sometimes like to make believe I hear.” I for one am listening.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE will releases his Sophomore album on March 3rd. Midnight at the Movies follows close on the heels of The Good Life. Sometimes success breeds more success and based on some MP3s like the one below it should be a welcome follow up Check it out. The album is on Bloodshot Records.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Virtuosos can sometimes be so esoteric that it makes them less accessible. So it has been at times with Derek Trucks. It is not his fault he is just on another plane musically. His brilliant improvisation has garnered wide acclaim but it also makes it hard for him to reach a wider audience. The release of Already Free should introduce Trucks to the wide audience he deserves. With the help of friend Doyle Bramhall II and is better half Susan Tedeschi hes has put together a brilliant and entertaining album. There is a lot more than Trucks slide guitar acumen on Already Free from the opening cover of Bob Dylan's "Down in the Flood" it is game through the closing title track.

What is pleasure? Blues, R&B, Jazz or Gospel take your pick the buffet is open. Trucks recorded the album in a new studio he built behind his house in Jacksonville, Florida. Putting Derek Trucks in a private studio is like locking a mad scientist in a lab. However, this is science you can dance to.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Otis Gibbs' new album Grandpa Walked a Picket Line Has risen up to number 5 on the Americana charts in only a few weeks. If you haven't checked it out you need to do so. I caught a short set he played last weekend at the Evening Muse in Charlotte. I wish he had played longer. He composes stories based on personal experience of his life as a wanderer. He has slept in hobo jungles and lived with mauntain shepherds all in search of honesty. He is a bit of a radical that has a raw unfiltered message.

Having been able to listen to the new CD Working on a Dream a few times now, I can only conclude the album is a new classic. Springsteen has lost nothing over the years. His superbowl halftime performance showed he still has the ability to take over a crowd. Check out Jeff's review on Twangville

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About Me

I have diverse taste in music that is always evolving. Most people's music collections stop growing sometime after college. I realizae that just because I get older people don't stop creating great music.